Polk schools plan to stay open Tuesday, but close Wednesday and Thursday for Idalia
Polk County Public Schools will be closed Wednesday and Thursday with classes still scheduled for Tuesday, the district said. It did, however, cancel all after-school activities on Tuesday, including sports.
The district has been issuing updates to its website since Sunday as it watches the path of Hurricane Idalia, which is expected to make landfall on Florida's northern gulf coast as a major hurricane on Wednesday, likely as a Category 3 system, but forecasters say a Category 4 is possible.
“Polk County Public Schools is monitoring the path of Tropical Storm Idalia, which could impact Central Florida starting late Tuesday evening,” the district website said. “Our team continues to monitor the weather and we are working with the Polk County Emergency Operations Center to provide you with updated information regarding the potential impact to our area."
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The current forecast shows that the storm is likely to strengthen and could become a Category 3 hurricane, possibly even a Category 4, prior to landfall Wednesday morning between between Crystal River and Alligator Point. On its current path, parts of Polk County could see some tropical storm-force winds by Tuesday evening.
In its third update in the past two days, the district announced Monday afternoon that all schools and offices will be closed Wednesday and Thursday, but it still planned for classes to continue Tuesday. All after-school activities for Tuesday were canceled and will be rescheduled as needed. The College and Career Fair scheduled for Tuesday evening at Florida Southern College has been postponed.
While the district is expected to operate on a regular schedule tomorrow, schools could close if hurricane shelters are opened, school buses cannot pass, or staff is adversely impacted by storm damage, the district said. And while PCPS expects to work quickly after the storm to return to normal operations, reopening can be complicated, as campuses must be safe for students and staff.
Several issues can prevent the district from reopening its schools after a hurricane. These include emptying hurricane shelter of residents and their pets, cleaning times, flood damage checks, restoration of electric power and downed power lines, access to drinking water, inspecting for damage at playgrounds and athletic facilities and the documentation of any damage for insurance purposes.
PCPS officials said the district will continue using its website, social media accounts, automated calls and emails to inform parents.
Lake Wales Charter Schools officials had not decided to close on Tuesday according to a receptionist at the district office. The Schools of McKeel Academy announced on its website Monday afternoon that it would follow the same plan as Polk district schools, opening on Tuesday, but shutting down after-school activities Tuesday night and closing schools on Wednesday and Thursday.
Meanwhile, Polk State College is also tracking Tropical Storm Idalia and encouraged students, faculty, staff, and members of the community to stay informed about official updates from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the College.
Polk State’s Student Activities and Leadership Office’s Welcome Week events for the Lakeland Campus have been postponed until next week. They will now be held from Sept. 5 to Sept. 7 from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. each day, at the Student Mall.
There were no other changes to college operations as of early Monday afternoon. Polk State will continue to monitor the storm and will provide updates on polk.edu and its social media sites: Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Polk schools will close on Wednesday and Thursday for Idalia
